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The stage is now set for a basic income for all

It seems Canada is finally ready to have an adult conversation about the possibility of introducing a guaranteed annual income

Jean-Yves Duclos, federal minister of families, children and social development, stated to both CBC Radio and the Globe and Mail last week that a guaranteed minimum income is a policy worthy of discussion. (Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

By Sheila Regehr and Roderick Benns

Thu., Feb. 11, 2016

It has been a breathtaking week for social policy in Canada. The stage is now set for a serious discussion about the merits of a basic income guarantee, and many of the actors have been cast in their leading roles.

Jean-Yves Duclos, federal minister of families, children and social development, stated to both CBC Radio and the Globe and Mail last week that a guaranteed minimum income is a policy worthy of discussion, once the promised enhancements to child tax benefits occur — an existing kind of minimum income for families with children.

At the same time, François Blais, minister of employment and social solidarity, has taken the spotlight on this issue in Quebec, asked by Premier Philippe Couillard to figure out how the province might turn their existing income support tools in the direction of a basic income guarantee.

Blais wrote a book in 2001 called A Basic Income for All. Duclos, a veteran economist, supported basic income in a 2008 paper he wrote for the Institute for Research on Public Policy.

A basic income can take different forms but it is generally understood to ensure everyone an income that is sufficient to meet their basic needs, regardless of work status. This kind of income support enables seniors in Canada to live better lives and keep contributing to society and the economy. It has also improved the lives of working-age families with children for many years. It is now time to cover those left out — the working-age adults who are also family, friends and neighbours in the communities where our children and grandchildren are growing up.

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For the federal minister responsible for social policy and his Quebec counterpart to be openly considering the design of a basic income system in Canada signals incredible movement on this issue — but there’s more. The political cast includes Calgary’s Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Edmonton’s Mayor Don Iveson and Halifax’s Mike Savage. In fact, no less than nine provincial and territorial capital leaders support basic income or at least pilot projects, with innumerable smaller city and town mayors across the nation declaring their support as well. They know — as government leaders who are closest to the people — that a guaranteed income would reduce inequities in their communities, reduce crime, improve health outcomes, and strengthen social cohesion.

The City of Kingston recently adopted a motion calling for a national discussion on the issue, and urged governments to work together to “consider, investigate, and develop a basic income guarantee for all Canadians.” That initiative has snowballed, with many more municipalities realizing the potential transformative power of a minimum income guarantee for its citizens.

The president of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Gary McNamara, suggested last week that we have only managed to “tinker at the edges” when it comes to reducing poverty. He’s right. In fact, there are many incomplete answers to eliminating poverty. Raising the minimum wage is a good idea, for example, but it doesn’t help those who are jobless, or the millions of Canadians who find themselves in precarious work, such as contracts and part-time jobs without benefits. And their numbers are growing every day. Adding to a stigmatizing and overly complex social assistance system is not a good idea. A basic income guarantee works to address both of these angles.

In May, there will be another resolution and discussion of basic income at the Liberal Party's national convention in Winnipeg, further evidence the stage is now set for an adult conversation on basic income. Recent comments about this issue from some of the key players in Canada are mere dress rehearsals for what is yet to come. Our defining narrative will be when we establish that having a basic income for all is no different — and no less important — than when we established universal health care more than 50 years ago.

Sheila Regehr is the chair of the Basic Income Canada Network and Roderick Benns is the publisher of Leaders and Legacies, organizations helping to lead the discussion on basic income in Canada.

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